Exhibition in Cēsis awarded Europa Nostra Cultural Heritage prize

The exhibition "Sirdsapziņas ugunskurs" (Burning Conscience) has been awarded the European Union (EU) "Europa Nostra" prize for Cultural Heritage in the category "Education, training and awareness-raising", Cēsis municipality said in a news release on May 27.

The Europa Nostra prize for Cultural Heritage is the most prestigious prize for the cultural heritage industry, honoring the most significant achievements at European level.

Awards are handed out annually in four categories. This is the fifth time Latvia has received it.

Installed in an authentic Soviet occupation environment, the former isolation cells of short-term detention of the militia, the exhibition explains the history of the occupation of Latvia from 1939 to 1957.

Juris Dambis, Head of the National Culture Administration, said that the exhibition is special because of the theme, content, restrained, non-exaggerated presentation. An unconventional, thought-provoking reflection of the harsh history of a recent past. The strong message is not perceived as a toll but suggests a conversation about responsibility, the quality of human life and our future. This is particularly important for the younger generation who do not know the criminal behavior of occupation regime.

The exhibition has "caught" the vanishing, fading facts from the public's memory and exposed them in a new humanitarian spotlight.

As of May 22, the exhibition "Sirdsapziņas ugunskurs" is open again for visitors at Pils Street 12, Cēsis, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Visitors are invited to purchase tickets remotely through the Mobilly application.

The European Union's Europa Nostra Prize for Cultural Heritage has been organised since 2002 by a non-governmental organization Europa Nostra, and the European Commission.